Inger Lise Hansen
Encyclopedia
Inger Lise Hansen is a Norwegian politician and a member of the centre-right
Christian Democratic Party (KRF). A former leader of the Youth of the Christian People's Party
(KRFU) from 2005 to 2007, Hansen was the second Deputy Leader of the party until 2011.
in Vestfold county
, Norway
, but later relocated to the capital of Oslo
to pursue an education and career. A graduate of the University of Oslo
, Hansen obtains a Bachelor of Arts
in international studies concerning religious
and cultural
history. She is married to David Hansen
, a fellow member of the Christian Democratic Party, with whom she has one child.
(KRFU), the youth wing of the much greater Christian Democratic Party (KRF). After her future husband stepped down as leader of the KRFU in 2002, Hansen was elected deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from the Vestfold constituency, and served from 2001 to 2005. A young and active member at the time, she was promoted to leader of the party's youth wing, the KRFU, with her predecessor Per Steinar Osmundnes
being elected to Parliament later that year. In 2007, Hansen was appointed to second Deputy Leader by Chairman Dagfinn Høybråten
, and was coined as one of the rising stars within the Christian Democratic Party. She was re-elected to that position at the party congress in early 2009. Later that same year, Hansen competed in the Vestfold constituency during Norwegian parliamentary election
for a seat in Parliament, but due to strong competition from the Norwegian Labour Party
and the Progress Party
, Hansen was not elected. However, she continues to serve as second Deputy Leader of the KRF.
in the party's policies. In an interview for the national newspaper Aftenposten
, Hansen argued that KRF's "unquestionable support" towards Israel
and their actions in the Middle East should change rapidly. As such she condemned the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
alongside the city of Jerusalem, criticised plans to move the Norwegian Embassy in Israel to the occupied territories that belong to the Palestinians and questioned if Norway should cut off financial support if an agreement between the two nations is not reached. Hansen also criticised the conservative
direction of the party, and claimed that they should support LGBT
rights, same-sex marriage
and Norway to enter
the European Union
. She also optioned for a more liberal attitude towards alcohol
and that members of the party should not all be Christian fundamentalists
.
Hansen's remarks were later published by other newspapers as a direct criticism of Christian Democratic Party leader Dagfinn Høybråten
and the rest of the conservative leadership, whom she blamed for the recent election polls that seem to be the worst in the party's history since World War II
. The incident was described as "shocking" and "astonishing" by the media and was even coined as a possible downfall for the Christian Democratic Party. In the aftermath, Hansen was met with strong criticism from the party leadership, while some political commentators believed she had destroyed her career. However, the controversy was well received by many as well, with Hansen being recognized as a leading member of the liberal
wing that could shape a new and modern Christian Democratic Party. This led to a formal invitation from members of the Conservative Party to join them as well, which Hansen chose not to comment on. Overall, the incident boosted Hansen's popularity amongst the population, but also weakened her relations with the party leadership after the party itself fell below the 4% election threshold
.
and Christian conservative
values. However, she has called for a new era in the party's social policies, especially regarding LGBT
rights. Hansen supports gay couples to live together and favors same-sex marriage
s and gay adoption rights. Hansen has further criticised the party leadership's status on these issues, and as such she has been recognised as a leading member of the party's more liberal
and modern wing.
or abortion
unless in cases of rape
or if the mother's life is at risk. This is a central policy in the ideology of the Christian Democratic Party (KRF), and as such Hansen has identified herself as Pro-life
.
in the European Union
, despite the fact that the Christian Democratic Party officially opposes it. Hansen, however, feels that the subject has never been properly discussed within the party, and as such is open for Norway to obtain membership due to the fact that Norway will benefit from the international relationship both financially and in accordance with peace and stability. She is also convinced that another referendum
must take place though in order to fully close the chapter and decide on the controversial political issue.
such as condemning the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
. She has also criticised plans to move the Norwegian Embassy to these occupied territories where Palestinians reside, and has suggested that Norway should cut off financial support to Israel unless a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Centre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
Christian Democratic Party (KRF). A former leader of the Youth of the Christian People's Party
Youth of the Christian People's Party
The Young Christian Democrats is the youth league of Kristelig Folkeparti in Norway. The current leader of KrFU is Elisabeth Løland. They have approximately 2,000 members....
(KRFU) from 2005 to 2007, Hansen was the second Deputy Leader of the party until 2011.
Early and personal life
Hansen was born in ÅsgårdstrandÅsgårdstrand
Åsgårdstrand is a city in Vestfold, Norway. It is also the name of a former independent municipality and a center of trade. The town is situated 10 km south of Horten, 10 km north of Tønsberg and 100 km south of Oslo by the west coast of the Oslofjord.From 2007, the town has had the...
in Vestfold county
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, but later relocated to the capital of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to pursue an education and career. A graduate of the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, Hansen obtains a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in international studies concerning religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
history. She is married to David Hansen
David Hansen (Norwegian politician)
David Hansen is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.From 1999 to 2002 he was the leader of the Youth of the Christian People's Party, the youth wing of the Christian Democratic Party...
, a fellow member of the Christian Democratic Party, with whom she has one child.
Political career
Hansen's political career began in the Youth of the Christian People's PartyYouth of the Christian People's Party
The Young Christian Democrats is the youth league of Kristelig Folkeparti in Norway. The current leader of KrFU is Elisabeth Løland. They have approximately 2,000 members....
(KRFU), the youth wing of the much greater Christian Democratic Party (KRF). After her future husband stepped down as leader of the KRFU in 2002, Hansen was elected deputy representative to the Parliament of Norway from the Vestfold constituency, and served from 2001 to 2005. A young and active member at the time, she was promoted to leader of the party's youth wing, the KRFU, with her predecessor Per Steinar Osmundnes
Per Steinar Osmundnes
Per Steinar Osmundnes is a Norwegian politician for the Christian Democratic Party.From 2002 to 2005 he was the leader of the Youth of the Christian People's Party, the youth wing of the Christian Democratic Party....
being elected to Parliament later that year. In 2007, Hansen was appointed to second Deputy Leader by Chairman Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten , is a Norwegian politician and the former leader of the Christian Democratic Party. He was the director of the National Insurance Administration from 1997 to 2004, but barely attended to the position because he was a government minister in Bondevik's First Cabinet from 1997 to...
, and was coined as one of the rising stars within the Christian Democratic Party. She was re-elected to that position at the party congress in early 2009. Later that same year, Hansen competed in the Vestfold constituency during Norwegian parliamentary election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2009
The 2009 parliamentary election was held in Norway on 14 September 2009. Elections in Norway are held on a Monday in September, usually the second or third Monday, as determined by the king. Early voting was possible between 10 August and 11 September 2009, while some municipalities held open...
for a seat in Parliament, but due to strong competition from the Norwegian Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
and the Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
, Hansen was not elected. However, she continues to serve as second Deputy Leader of the KRF.
Remarks concerning party policies
In January 2010, Hansen became the subject of much media attention, criticism, praise and controversy when she called for a strong liberalizationLiberalization
In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation...
in the party's policies. In an interview for the national newspaper Aftenposten
Aftenposten
Aftenposten is Norway's largest newspaper. It retook this position in 2010, taking it from the tabloid Verdens Gang which had been the largest newspaper for several decades. It is based in Oslo. The morning edition, which is distributed across all of Norway, had a circulation of 250,179 in 2007...
, Hansen argued that KRF's "unquestionable support" towards Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and their actions in the Middle East should change rapidly. As such she condemned the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
alongside the city of Jerusalem, criticised plans to move the Norwegian Embassy in Israel to the occupied territories that belong to the Palestinians and questioned if Norway should cut off financial support if an agreement between the two nations is not reached. Hansen also criticised the conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
direction of the party, and claimed that they should support LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights, same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and Norway to enter
Norway and the European Union
Norway is not a member state of the European Union , but is closely associated with the Union through its membership in the European Economic Area , in the context of being a European Free Trade Association member.-Trade:...
the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. She also optioned for a more liberal attitude towards alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and that members of the party should not all be Christian fundamentalists
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
.
Hansen's remarks were later published by other newspapers as a direct criticism of Christian Democratic Party leader Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten
Dagfinn Høybråten , is a Norwegian politician and the former leader of the Christian Democratic Party. He was the director of the National Insurance Administration from 1997 to 2004, but barely attended to the position because he was a government minister in Bondevik's First Cabinet from 1997 to...
and the rest of the conservative leadership, whom she blamed for the recent election polls that seem to be the worst in the party's history since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The incident was described as "shocking" and "astonishing" by the media and was even coined as a possible downfall for the Christian Democratic Party. In the aftermath, Hansen was met with strong criticism from the party leadership, while some political commentators believed she had destroyed her career. However, the controversy was well received by many as well, with Hansen being recognized as a leading member of the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
wing that could shape a new and modern Christian Democratic Party. This led to a formal invitation from members of the Conservative Party to join them as well, which Hansen chose not to comment on. Overall, the incident boosted Hansen's popularity amongst the population, but also weakened her relations with the party leadership after the party itself fell below the 4% election threshold
Election threshold
In party-list proportional representation systems, an election threshold is a clause that stipulates that a party must receive a minimum percentage of votes, either nationally or within a particular district, to obtain any seats in the parliament...
.
Christianity and LGBT rights
Inger Lise Hansen's political views are built on Christian democraticChristian Democracy
Christian democracy is a political ideology that seeks to apply Christian principles to public policy. It emerged in nineteenth-century Europe under the influence of conservatism and Catholic social teaching...
and Christian conservative
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
values. However, she has called for a new era in the party's social policies, especially regarding LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
rights. Hansen supports gay couples to live together and favors same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
s and gay adoption rights. Hansen has further criticised the party leadership's status on these issues, and as such she has been recognised as a leading member of the party's more liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and modern wing.
Abortion
Hansen does not favor euthanasiaEuthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
or abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
unless in cases of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
or if the mother's life is at risk. This is a central policy in the ideology of the Christian Democratic Party (KRF), and as such Hansen has identified herself as Pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
.
Norway and the European Union
Hansen supports Norwegian membershipNorway and the European Union
Norway is not a member state of the European Union , but is closely associated with the Union through its membership in the European Economic Area , in the context of being a European Free Trade Association member.-Trade:...
in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, despite the fact that the Christian Democratic Party officially opposes it. Hansen, however, feels that the subject has never been properly discussed within the party, and as such is open for Norway to obtain membership due to the fact that Norway will benefit from the international relationship both financially and in accordance with peace and stability. She is also convinced that another referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
must take place though in order to fully close the chapter and decide on the controversial political issue.
Israel
In contradiction to the Christian Democratic Party's policies, Hansen has opted for a more negative attitude towards the State of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
such as condemning the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier
Israeli West Bank barrier
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
. She has also criticised plans to move the Norwegian Embassy to these occupied territories where Palestinians reside, and has suggested that Norway should cut off financial support to Israel unless a peace agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
External links
- http://www.krf.no/ikbViewer/page/krf/politikk/english
- http://www.side2.no/underholdning/article2863412.ece
- http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article3493759.ece
- http://www.nettavisen.no/nyheter/article2837301.ece